Footsteps Pre-Nursery

Footsteps Pre-Nursery Great Dell Scout Hut, Great Dell, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire AL8 7HX

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Inspection date 14 May 2019 Previous inspection date 19 January 2016

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Good 2 Effectiveness of leadership and management Good 2 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good 2 Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good 2 Outcomes for children Good 2

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This provision is good

n The experienced manager leads a committed staff team who work very well together. They regularly reflect on their practice and identify areas for improvement. For example, they have made changes to the outdoor area, such as adding more equipment to help children to develop their physical skills. n Staff teach children how to relax and to become aware of their minds and bodies. For example, they encourage them to sit quietly and breathe deeply. At other times, staff use incense sticks and soft chimes to help children to learn how to use their senses for other forms of relaxation. Such activities impact positively on children's mental health and overall well-being. n Children make good progress. The provider and staff prepare children well for moving on to nursery or school. For example, they make contact with children's next teachers and use photographs to help children to become familiar with their new environments.

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This provision is good

n Parents speak highly of the care and education the well-established staff provide to their children. They feel children are developing well, especially with their communication skills. Parents say children have a consistent key person and this helps them to feel secure and happy at the pre-nursery. n Staff do not gain sufficient information from parents on what children can already do when they first start, to help more precisely identify children's starting points from the outset.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

n gain more detailed information about what children can already do when they start to attend and support staff to more precisely identify children's starting points in learning from the outset.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

n The inspector observed staff's teaching and interactions with children, indoors and outside. n The inspector spoke to staff and children and held a meeting with the manager and provider. n The inspector observed an adult-planned activity with the manager and held a discussion with her about staff's teaching skills and children's learning. n The inspector looked at a sample of paperwork, including staff qualifications and suitability checks of staff and committee members. The safeguarding policies and procedures were also seen. n The inspector took account of the views of parents through discussion and their written comments.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Safeguarding is effective. All staff regularly complete safeguarding training and understand how to recognise concerns about children's safety and welfare. They know how to swiftly make referrals, both within the pre-nursery and to relevant agencies. Staff turnover in the well-established pre-nursery is low. Despite this, the provider has rigorous recruitment procedures in place. The manager supports new staff, students and volunteers to work through an induction procedure. This helps to ensure that all adults understand their roles and responsibilities. The provider and manager monitor staff's performance through regular supervision meetings. Staff receive targeted professional development opportunities and talk about the positive impact training has on their practice.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

Staff teach children effectively as they learn through play and planned activities. For example, they encourage children to look at how many sides shapes have and tell them what each shape is called. As children use construction toys, staff help them to count and talk about height. Staff regularly observe and assess children's development. They look for any gaps in children's learning and identify how they can best support children to make good progress. They share children's development records with parents, and this helps to promote continuity in their learning. Parents provide information to staff about what their children have been learning at home and this is taken into account in the ongoing assessments of children's learning.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

Staff make good use of woodlands adjacent to the pre-nursery building. Children enjoy walks, and staff share stories with children outdoors. At other times, children use the outdoor learning environment and have opportunities to develop strong physical skills, for example by climbing. Children show high levels of independence and develop good self-care skills. Staff encourage children to complete tasks for themselves, such as changing their shoes and helping at snack times. Children engage well in self-chosen activities. They learn to cooperate with others, for instance when they negotiate what roles they will undertake as they engage in imaginative play.

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Outcomes for children are good

Children are making good progress and gaining effective skills that prepare them well for the next stages in their learning and, ultimately, for school. Children enjoy making marks with water and talk about what each mark represents. For example, they describe a curved line as a rainbow. They learn how to use a range of technological toys and equipment. For example, they build up towers and skilfully direct remote-controlled cars to knock them down. Children enjoy spending time in the well-resourced book area. They share books with their friends and with members of staff and are able to recall stories and express their own ideas.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY242708 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10067195 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care Age range of children 2 - 3 Total number of places 20 Number of children on roll 26

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Name of registered person

Footsteps Pre-Nursery, Welwyn Garden City Committee

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reference number

Date of previous inspection 19 January 2016 Telephone number 07768315575

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reference number

Footsteps Pre-Nursery registered in 2002. It is located in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. The pre-nursery employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3. The pre-nursery opens Monday to Friday, term time only, from 9.15am until 12.15pm. The pre-nursery provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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reference number

procedures set out in the guidance Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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